You Can't Choose Your Neighbours
by merryfellow
Summary: New summary! A dragon scratches Astrid's shoulder. How will it affect the girl when the next full moon comes? Romance/Humor/Adventure/Horror(just in case)/Fantasy Modern AU. Human Toothless!
1. Chapter 1

**Initially, I wanted to finish my first story before starting this one, but decided to share it with you after all. **

**The rating is T, and it won't be changed. **

**I love plot twists, awkward situations and fluff, so that's what you're likely to read about in this story.**

**I hope you like it! Because I do! Ha-ha!**

**Disclaimer : I do not own How to Train Your Dragon.**

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><p><strong><em>Prologue<em>**

**_Many years ago. Far far away. _**

_Since olden times rain symbolized changes. Heavy rain presupposed drastic changes._

Two young men were scrambling through the water flows directing their steps towards the small wooden house on the top of the hill. Their clothes soaked, and north wind made them chilled to the bone, but they continued climbing.

"I told you to stay in the village until the storm passed over" the middle height boy with long black hair shouted, trying to outroar the noise produced by the puffs.

"I don't want to marry her, Toothless!" the lanky boy with the slightly reddish hair was shivering and could hardly restrain the chattering of his teeth. He made one more step, his artificial leg slipped and he fell directly in the mud.

"Do you want to lose your second leg? Let's go back until it's too late" Toothless grasped the boy's right hand and lifted him from the puddle.

"Oh… Thanks. But we are not going back" one legged boy said stubbornly and continued walking up the hill. With a displeased howl Toothless trailed along at the back.

By the time two young men reached their point of destination the storm became stronger and the wind was almost resistless.

"Do you really think she may help you?" the shorter guy sniffed skeptically.

"I don't think, bud, I know!" The boy with the light brown hair got a lungful of fresh air and knocked at the door. It was open and he looked back at his friend seeking for the encouragement. Toothless reassuringly patted him on the shoulder and they stepped into the old house.

A dark figure standing in the center of the room was stirring a viscid liquid in the fuming cauldron.

"Gothi" the young man said in an agitated tone shaking the water drops off his clothes. "We need your help"

The old woman lifted her head to look at the visitors, her eyes expressed anxiety.

"I know, Hiccup" she said with an enigmatic grin "I was waiting for you"

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><p><strong>So, what are your impressions? : )<strong>

**Chapters will be very, very long and I will be updating once or twice a month. Though next update is on Tuesday. **

**Please, review. I really want to know what you think about it.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for the reviews, guys! That's great to know that you like the beginning of this story! **

**I hope you like this chapter, too :) **

**And I'm very-very-very-very sorry for the late update! My exams ate all my free time... That is why this part is shorter than I initially planned.**

**Warning 1: this chapter may seem a little bit dramatic, but the rest of the story will be rather positive, funny and fluffy. **

**Warning 2: cliffhangers.**

**Well, enjoy ;)**

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><p><strong><em>Chapter one<em>**

**_At the present day._**

A beam of sunlight fell on the beautiful girl's face forcing her to pull the blanket over her blond head. After the previous night it became a shield protecting her from the outer world, like in childhood, when she thought it may save her from the night monsters. She lay snug in the warm fabrics, enjoying the coziness of her bed after the troubled slumber.

"Wake up, Astrid!" a tall man with greying hair gently shook her shoulder.

"Oh... Dad! It's Saturday!" the blonde mumbled stretching herself. Abrupt movements reminded her of the healing slits and she made an effort not to hiss with pain.

"We're moving to the new house today, sleepyhead! Common! You'll miss all fun!" he baited shaking her slightly.

"They say there are ghosts in the house next door" the girl muttered from under the pillow shrinking from the unpleasant memories.

"Since when are you afraid of ghosts, Astrid?" the man laughed.

"Oh, dad, please, don't start it again!" the girl rolled her eyes. "I love our house and I don't want to move!"

"And you want to scare me with the bogeyman stories? It was a great bachelor's den when I lived here alone" the father looked all over the room of his only child. "Now we need a bigger one"

The girl threw the blanket off and sat up.

"Give me ten minutes" she yawned.

"I'll be downstairs" the man said enthusiastically, and his daughter nodded her approval, leaving the bed lazily.

Astrid put on her house slippers and went to the bathroom hoping that cold morning shower would bring her to life. The blonde took all her clothes off and sighed dispiritedly examining dark shadows under her eyes and four long red cuts going down from her shoulder-blades to the small of her back.

"I wish we never went there... Never..." she said leaning elbows on the sink and covering her pale face with her shaky hands.

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><p><strong>Seven hours earlier.<strong>

"I still think it's a bad idea, Ruff" Astrid looked dubiously at her best friend Ruby or, as everyone called her, Ruffnut Thorston, and placed her hands on her hips.

Two blond girls got over the high plant hedge and now were standing in front of the two-storey building that probably belonged to a well-off family long time ago, but was abandoned and neglected for the last couple of years. Weeds in the garden were taller than middle-sized bushes, and the house was overgrown with moss. A small lake before the construction made the air moist and girl's hair wavy.

"I don't like it here... It's like in a scary movie!" Astrid shivered with cold wrapping herself tighter in her jacket.

"Oh! Common! Haunted houses are awesome! They say someone is screaming here at night! Isn't it amazing? Fishlegs heard that once they found a chopped off head in the lake! Cool, right? Oh... What happened with the Fearless Astrid Hofferson?" Ruffnut raised her eyebrow disappointedly.

"She is gone..." her best friend responded in a low voice. After the terrible car accident that took place five weeks ago Astrid's mother Bertha sank into a coma and her daughter from a rebellious teenager turned into a depressed, too careful old woman. Her parents got divorced two years ago, and she decided to stay with her mother. Since the car crash she has been living with her father. Though that was a point at issue which of them was a parent and which was a kid. Slapdash Arthur was not a role model for a sixteen year old girl. Smoking, drinking and accidental sexual affairs proved it fully.

"If they find two dead bodies in the morning..."

"You may say_ I told you!_" Ruff smirked. "Oh! I bet they will think up a new crude joke about blonds. Just imagine. Two hot blonds enter the.."

"It will be difficult to tell you _I was right_... you know... we will be dead and all things!" Astrid brushed her long fringe away from her eyes, ignoring Ruffnut's last phrases.

"Screw you, Hofferson!"

"Screw you, Thorston! I'm tired..." the gloomy girl rubbed her frozen hands together. "And I need a pair of gloves..."

"You sound like my mom!" the second blonde sniffed with disapproval.

"I live with a forty year old kid. It kind of makes impact on me..."

"That's why we came here! To make you cheer up!" Ruff winked at her best friend.

"We're here 'cause you made a stupid bet with Snotlout and Fishlegs!" Astrid made a helpless gesture.

"And they will give me... erm... us! They will give us a twenty!"

"Wow! A twenty!" Hofferson said scornfully. "I should make a list of things that I could buy with my part!"

"Ha-ha! Very funny! Anyway, after this night no one will call me a yellow-belly"

"Umph! Will you agree to go back if I promise you a twenty and never ever call you 'yellow belly'?" the dismal blonde was grasping at straws. "I have a bad feeling..."

"Nooo! We didn't even stepped into the house!" Ruff was too excited to notice the complaints.

"Ok! We will come in, look around, make some photos to prove your beloved Fishlegs that we were there and go home without delay!"

The agitated girl nodded and pulled the door.

"And I don't like the full moon..." Astrid said looking at the sky and followed her best friend.

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><p>They found themselves in a spacious hall with big curtained windows, old-fashioned furniture and wide stairs in the center of it. It was dark and dank inside, and Astrid felt the draught.<p>

"Okay, make photos and let's get out of here! This place makes my skin crawl!" she was speaking hoarsely. The cold disagreed with her voice and mood. "Wait! Stop! What are you doing?"

After shooting the interior and some separate things Ruffnut started pulling the doors leading to the other rooms.

"Ugh! They won't open!" she grumbled with a sad face, and headed for the stairs. "I want to see what's upstairs!" the girl said with fiery eyes.

"Ruff! Don't leave me alone! Wait! Ruff!" Hofferson ran after the girl trying to come up with her. "Ruff? Ruffnut, where are you? Common! That's not funny!"

Not finding her friend Astrid walked down the steps and sat on the couch that was supposed to be dirty, dusty and squeaky, but it was not. The girl jumped to her feet, ran up to the bookcase and passed the hand over it. No dust. No spider's web. That meant that the house was inhabited, or at least somebody cleaned it... recently.

A sudden loud creak made her jump up out of fright.

"Ruff, is that you?" Astrid's heartbeat accelerated. "Come down! I have a suspicion that we're not alone here..." she looked at the ceiling wishing to see through it and find her extravagant friend. "I'll be waiting for you outside!" the blonde shouted hoping that Ruffnut would hear her.

It was even worse outside because a strong wind was added to the set of unpleasant freezing out weather states. Astrid forgot that the difference in temperature at night and in the day time is tremendous in Berk. Last time she was out so late (or so early) almost two years ago, when she and Ruff were playing detectives and got lost in the forest.

Another terrifying creak called girl's attention. She turned around and screamed.

"AAAAAAAAAA! Holy sh... Toothless? What are you doing here? Why are you... Are you naked? OUGH!" she hurried to close her eyes with her palm.

"I may ask you the same question, Hofferson!" the boy had no special sympathy for the pugnacious Barbie. "And I'm not naked. If you look here..." he gestured to the lower part of his body "... you may notice a pair of blue jeans"

Tyler Toothless and his dorky, at the first gaze, friend Hugh, usually referred to as Hiccup, Haddock came to the Astrid and Ruffnut's school three months ago. Ruffnut momentarily fell for the sexy mysterious brunet, and glued her locker over with his pictures, though the young man preferred to hold himself aback from other guys was reluctant to come in contact with anyone who took interest in his personal life, especially with the noisy blonde whom he considered to be light-headed and boring, and bimbo. Astrid being Ruff's friend was classified the same way.

If Toothless showed himself as a dreary, unsociable lone person, Hiccup on the contrary, tried to be a nice fellow, who can be useful for every person. Practically, as Astrid thought, his fingers were all thumbs, as he dropped or cracked something every time they met, though he was cute and his smile was adorable. Sometimes she even wondered what she would answer if Hiccup asked her out. But he never did, and such lack of his attention annoyed her more than she wanted to admit.

Astrid never fell in love. When she was fifteen people started to whisper behind her back, and she began to think about dating someone. Ruffnut's brother Toby, or simply Tuffnut, offered his help, as he was in love with the girl next door and wanted to make her jealous. Nothing good came out of the Tuff's idea, as his neigbour got married soon, though he continued to pretend his sister's friend's boyfriend until he had to move to other state. When Tuff left for college at the beginning of the school year, Astrid had to face an endless queue comprising the guys of all sorts with omnipresent Snotlout in the lead. Not that the most popular girl in the school did not want to date the hottest quarterback ever, who was adjudged guilty of the other girls' drooling... He was merely not her type.

"You'd better go home" Toothless said nudging the blonde towards the entering gates. "It's unsafe and impolite to break into somebody else's house in the middle of the night! Didn't your parents ever tell you?"

"Wait..." Astrid stopped short in confusion. "Ruff... Ruby is there..." she pointed at the building.

"What? Where?" the boy screamed clutching his head. "Where exactly?" he grabbed girl's arms and shook her, his eyes were burning with anger and... fear.

"I don't know" she pushed the guy away rubbing her aching arms. "Somewhere upstairs"

"Oh no!" he whispered and broke into a run. "Stay here! I'll be back in a minute!" A second later he disappeared behind the door.

Hofferson stooped to shake the dirt drops from her tracksuit pants and sneakers, when something heavy stroke her in her back pushing the girl into the lake. Water drops flew to all directions the very moment she plunged into the water that was surprisingly warm in comparison with the cold air.

Astrid came to the surface and looked round. A blast of wind was like slap in her wet face. "Who's there?" she yelled looking about. An inhuman roar coming from the giant black monster with enormous wings sitting on the big rock made her blood run cold. His big green eyes were examining the girl. He was observing the future victim.

"DON'T MOVE!" Toothless shouted running like a deer. Ruffnut was right after him, but she was much slower than her avoidant companion.

"AAAASTRIIIIIID!" Ruff screamed when she saw the beast starring at her friend.

Still half-naked Toothless jumped in the direction of the horrifying creature. What happened next hit the girls like a ton of bricks. It all was like in a slow motion, and they were unable to believe their eyes. His skin became dark, legs and arms longer and bigger, body wider, his jeans tore to pieces. What was the boy only a moment ago now looked exactly like the monster sitting on the rock. Ruffnut and Astrid swore at the same time. Toothless pushed the first beast and they both fell into the water fighting, forcing Astrid to make her way to the shore.

"Oh my God, Ruffnut!" the blonde hugged her best friend squeezing hera little too hard.

"Astrid! What the hell is going on?" the girl burst into tears. Her body was trembling.

"We'd better never find out! Let's go!"

They stopped the sentimentality realizing that it probably was their only chance to ran away alive. When they reached the gates the roars and sounds of fighting and splashing were still heard.

"Astrid!" Ruff looked unusually frightened. "Your back is bleeding!"

Hofferson ran her right hand over her back and looked at the result. Her fingers were covered in red liquid. The girl felt a giant lump in the throat.

"This thing scratched me... Ough! It hurts..." she mumbled wonderingly unable to look away from her fingers. "And my clothes are soaked! I need to change before getting into the care... or I'll leave puddles there... and you father will kill you..."

"Who cares about puddles? You need to see a doctor! Now!" Thorston went into hysterics, jumping into her father's car, that she borrowed to visit that terrible place.

"No!" Astrid abruptly turned to face Ruffnut. "NO! We're not going to see a doctor, and we're not telling anyone about what happened there!" she spoke fast taking the seat. "They will sent us to the nut hospital! Promise that you won't tell anyone!"

"You're right..." Ruffnut nodded still crying. "No one should know about that... Astrid?"

"Yeah?"

"What the hell was that?" Ruff asked driving off to the main road turning the steering wheel with her sweaty and shaky hands.

"I don't know..."

"They looked like..."

"Dragons?" Astrid assumed and shuddered. "I still can't believe I saw it! He just grew up that tail and wings and turned coal-black..."

"You were right, Hofferson! That was a very, very bad idea..."

"I told you" the girl smiled for the first time in last five weeks.

"That's crazy, but I made you smile, after all!" Thorston grinned, and Astrid gently punched the girl in her arm. "Ouch! Ladies and Gentlemen, Astrid Hoffersonis smiling! My girl is back!"

The air in the car became warm and was pleasantly soothing Astrid's frozen skin. She found a towel in the Ruffnut's gym bag and covered the seat with it not to stain the trimming with her blood.

"I need to tend my wounds and try to fall asleep, when I get home... Maybe in the morning it all will turn out to be a bad dream... Ough... I hope dad won't notice anything... "

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><p>Two young dragons were fighting for a while, but as soon as the girls were gone Hiccup started to calm down. It was always easier when humans were far from him during the full moon period. The only person whom he was able to handle was his best friend Toothless, and only when he was in his dragon guise. Toothless was turning into dragon as far back as he remembered, and was able to control himself even after the transformation, the boy with the light brown hair, who got that extraordinary <em>gift <em>from an old witch Gothi, was only mastering the abilities to control his mind, emotions and behavior being in the dragon's... shoes.

Several hours later two young men were sitting on the ground looking at the lake surface.

"Human never came here before..." Hiccup rubbed the nape of his neck. "That was why we decided to stay here..."

"That was strange... I thought that frightening stories about haunted house would keep them far from this place..." Toothless was confused, and it irritated him. "And what was even more strange you managed not to attack the blonde" he pressed his back against the rock, on the top of which Hiccup was sitting observing Astrid several hours ago.

"Yeah... Probably my dragon-self is also fond of her..." the boy blushed.

"You know this is the first step to the self-control! Congratulations! Who knows? Maybe you will stop drinking water from the toilet soon!"

"Ha-ha!" Hiccup said without a shadow of a smile. "As if you never did it!"

"So, when are you going to tell her about the consequences?" Toothless asked looking at the red faced guy.

"You mean to tell the girl who is always ready to fight, the girl I'm in love with, that the next full moon she will turn into an uncontrollable flying beast?" Hiccup gave a sigh. "She will kill me, won't she?"

"You left four amazing scratches on the perfect skin of the perfect school queen bee! She will definitely do it, dude!" the boy chuckled.

"Ough! Things are getting worse and worse" Hiccup complained burring his face in his hands. "Ok. Let's go find some clothes! Even after so many years it's still awkward to sit together naked!"

"Uh-huh! And we should take our clothes off before the transformation next time... The shop girl is at a loss why I come to buy two identical pairs of jeans each month!" Toothless muttered the last phrase under his breath.

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><p><strong>Please, review and follow! Tell me if you like this story or not! Your opinion is very important for me! So, what do you think about human Toothless? <strong>

**I'll do my best to update in the middle of February :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello guys! Thank you for the reviews, favs and follows! **

**I'm very very very very sorry for not updating this story for…OH MY GOD! Six months!**

**Sorry for such a delay... I really feel bad that I made you wait for so long!**

**Well, here is the new chapter and I hope you enjoy it ;)**

**P. S. I imagine them being seventeen but they look like in the second movie.**

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><p><strong><em>Chapter two<em>**

Driving by the shady house with her dad at the wheel the blond girl with cold blue eyes felt shivers running up and down her spine. The memories of the previous night were still fresh in her memory and the cuts that now were healing on her back never let Astrid forget about the black monster, its sharp claws and enigmatic green eyes. The monster that left the slits on her skin.

Now it was obvious that Toothless was not an ordinary human. He changed to look like the second beast, which meant that the first monster might have had a human appearance too. Was that his lanky dorky friend? Was that Hiccup? Astrid could only guess, but that variant seemed more or less probable.

Toothless' transformation was the most astonishing thing she had ever seen in her entire life. The way his limbs grew thick and dark, the way his head changed and long tail appeared, that all made her doubt the condition of her own mental state. Did she really see that or was that only one of her nightmares?

Nope. That was not her bad dream. She experienced sharp pang in her back again and that feeling brought her back to earth. She saw that. She really did.

"Are you okay? You seem to be… rather tense…" Astrid's father said parking in front of their new house. The man looked slightly worried. His daughter was sitting straight the whole ride and never pressed her back against the seat.

"Just got a bruise at the Friday training. I'll be fine" the blond girl brushed the problem aside. She won't tell her father about the cuts. Or she will have to explain how she got them, what she was doing in that damned house and why she did not tell about that before. And she will be grounded till the rest of her days. As well as Ruff as her dad would definitely call her parents.

"So, here we are" Arthur smiled at his daughter stepping out of his car.

"Great" Astrid grumbled with a ghost of a fake smile on her lips. Their new house. Too close to the place that is believed to be haunted.

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><p>The Hoffersons unpacked most of their boxes and Astrid even managed to make her new room cosy.<p>

"Astrid?" Arthur knocked at his daughter's room door.

"Come in, dad" the girl was standing on her bed attaching to the wall the poster with the cast of her favourite TV show.

"Wow, your room looks really like… your room" the man patted the girl's shoulder and she made an effort not to hiss. Still too painful. "Gobber called me…"

"It's Saturday evening!" Astrid rolled her eyes. Another emergency call from Gobber and her dad had to spend the rest of the weekend at work, which meant she would be alone in their new house. And two evidently flying monsters are somewhere nearby. The girl won't be sleeping today.

"I'm sorry, I have to go, sweetheart! We'll unpack the rest of our stuff tomorrow!" Arthur bended to give his daughter a kiss on her forehead and moved back too fast after he did that. "Are you okay? You have a fever! Your skin is burning hot!" This time he pressed his palm to her forehead.

"Really?" Astrid looked aside trying to avoid her father's gaze. Actually she felt more or less okay. The cuts and the skin near them were on fire but nothing else bothered her. The blonde supposed that that was the reason why the temperature of her body suddenly ran high and decided to keep her mouth shut. She is almost an adult, she can handle some tiny scratches. Nothing bad will happen.

"I've probably caught a cold…" Astrid lied still not looking her father in the eyes.

"Go to bed! Now! And promise me you'll take the medicine to reduce fever!" Arthur insisted. "They must be somewhere... in the boxes" the man sighed.

"I promise, da-ad!" the girl crossed her fingers behind her back. She did not need any medicine, as she was not ill.

"I'll try to come back as soon as possible!" the man promised, though Astrid knew he wouldn't come till the next evening.

"I'll be here" the girl said in a low voice, and after the door closed behind her dad she whispered "maybe".

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><p>Astrid loved to stay alone at home... before she met Toothless and his sharp-clawed friend. Now to say she is uncomfortable with being alone in a big house in the evening is to say nothing. She tried to watch a movie or listen to music or even do her homework to get distracted but pain and anxiety did not let her enjoy the process, and soon she gave up. That would probably be the longest night in her life.<p>

She put on her favourite T-shirt and shorts that always made her feel better and went downstairs to drink a glass of coke when someone rang the doorbell. Astrid squatted and pressed her left side against the wall trying to become tiny or even invisible. Who could that be? Her dad has the key. Ruffnut won't dare to come close to the monsters' house anymore. And other people did not know where she was living now, did they?

The bell rang again and Astrid became numb with fear. Wishing to calm herself down the girl thought about other neighbors that might have witnessed them moving in, so now they probably wanted to say hello and maybe give her something tasty.

She grabbed the frying pan from one of the opened boxes and went towards the door trying not to produce any loud noise that would give her away.

"Mmm… Hello?" Astrid heard the familiar voice from behind the door. That was him. Hiccup. "Astrid?! Astrid, we need to talk"

The girl kept silent not daring to move a single muscle of her body.

"Oh… Come on! Just let me in! I know you are there!" Hiccup knocked at the door impatiently and nervously at the same time.

'_Don't move, don't move, don't move_' Astrid was repeating the words in her head. '_He will go away, just don't move!_'

"Astrid, you are right behind the door. I can smell you!" he admitted.

"Go away or I'll call the police" the blonde threatened still numb with fear. He could... smell her?

"I'm not going to hurt you! We need to talk about the cuts that I left on your back and... the consequences" the boy was almost begging. How could she not understand how important it is?!

That was him. One of the monsters Astrid was afraid of. That was impossible that such a handsome boy was turning into such an ugly beast. And after all, how could anyone turn into something or someone else? It was beyond girl's comprehension.

"Your skin must be burning now! I know how to take care of these cuts! I can help you" the boy promised.

"I said go away!" Astrid screamed, and then she heard him going away. She was surprised that the beast gave in so easily.

The girl took her breath and finally went to the kitchen to gulp down a glass of cold water. Her legs were unusually weak and shaky and her throat felt unbearably dry, as if a fire was ready to appear in her mouth. She must have really caught a cold.

"I just…" Hiccup spoke behind her back.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Astrid screamed turning around to face the boy. He was wearing a green sweater matching his eyes and brown pants, his hair was shaggy and eyes glittered in the darkness of the room.

Astrid moved back and bumped against the kitchen table hitting the small of her back.

"The back door was open, so… I… came in" Hiccup blushed.

"I told you to go away!" Astrid hissed at the boy trying to find by groping the frying pan that she left on the table.

"You don't understand! I really need to talk to you! Please?" the boy was very persistent.

"Are you alone?" the blonde gasped rubbing her back to stop the frying pan was nowhere to be found, so she was observing her unwelcome guest unflinchingly.

"Erm… yes…" he rubbed the back of his head shyly.

"Good" she said in a low voice. At least his creepy friend was away. Or is was not good? Last time Toothless tried to save her. Hiccup was the one who wanted to… eat her?

"I'm sorry… about… the cuts… and… Listen, I didn't want to scare you! People never came to our house before! If we only knew… Just sorry!"

"You wanted to kill me yesterday?" Astrid dared to ask the boy.

"No… Dragons don't kill… they…"

"Dragons?!" the blond girl yelled.

"I'd better show you" Hiccup said coming closer to his love interest. He noticed that she was wearing shorts and did his best to concentrate on her face instead of starring at her perfect long legs. He took a lighter out of the back pocket of his pants. He started to play with the fire that was coming out of it. He was holding the fire too close to his skin not to leave a burn on it, but nothing happened.

"Give me your hand" he ordered offering her his hand.

"What? Noo!" the girl wanted to step back, but she was stopped by the kitchen table again. Then Hiccup gently took her shaking hand and a second later fire coming from the lighter was licking the girl's skin. She wanted to jerk her hand away but Hiccup did not let her do that holding her rather tight. She was staring at the boy spellbound trying to remember how to breathe. She did not feel pain. The fire was… pleasant on her tender skin. When he finally let her go she examined her hand not to see a single burn on it.

"What the damn hell was that?" Astrid's voice was trembling, as well as her limbs.

"Now you see that we need to talk?!" Hiccup chuckled. "But before I have to take care of your slits"

"Ok" Astrid breathed out shrugging. She won't be able to ran away now, so she has no choice.

"Before I do anything promise you won't punch me!" Hiccup was confused.

"What?" the girl slightly raised her right eyebrow.

"I'm afraid you won't like the curing process" the boy turned red and Astrid noticed a wide grin on his face. What was he up to?

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><p><strong>Cliffhanger he-he!<strong>

**Please, review and follow! **

**I'll do my best to update soon! :) And by 'soon' I mean 'this week'. **

**Next chapter will be longer and I promise a lot of fluff ^^**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello guys! Thank you for the reviews! **

**I decided to post short chapters (approximately 1500 - 2000 words) because it is the only way for me to update regularly. **

**I hope you like this chapter! :)**

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><p><strong><em>Chapter three<em>**

The chestnut haired boy and his blond classmate were standing in front of each other shifting from foot to foot. The former was waiting for the girl's response fiddling with the edge of his sweater, the latter screwed up her eyes in the useless attempt to figure everything out herself.

"Could you be a little bit more precise? What do you mean by 'you won't like the curing process'?" Astrid finally mumbled looking at the boy's confused face.

"Erm… I have to lick your cuts" Hiccup mumbled sheepishly.

"What?!" the girl yelled.

"To heal them!" Hiccup wanted to step closer but Astrid stretched her hand to prevent him to do that.

"No!" Astrid shook her head starring wide eyed at the boy.

"No?!" the boy was puzzled. For some reason he did not think that she would decline his help.

"NO! And don't come closer!" Astrid furrowed her brow crossing her hands on her chest.

"Dragon's saliva…" Hiccup started explaining not moving forward to show the girl that he respected her private space. "I mean, my saliva helps to heal the slits… So, I was thinking… You must be in pain now, and I can help you!" he smiled shyly trying to look friendly.

"Did you hear me? I said NO! You… pervert!" the blonde was disturbed.

"Pervert? Me?" the boy pointed at himself slightly annoyed. "Listen, Astrid, I only want to help you! By tomorrow morning your back will be killing you! And it will be too late to ask me for help"

"How could you know that?" the blonde sniffed discontentedly.

"I know that because… it happened before" Hiccup looked down observing his sneakers, and Astrid saw that smile disappeared from his face. "Once I scratched a man… and nothing good came out of that… Please, let me help you!"

Astrid was hesitating. The pain was increasing every single minute and she finally made a decision.

"Ok!" she gave in. That dragonboy is persuasive. It is what it is. So, what shall be shall be.

"Great!" Hiccup beamed with delight and two teens stared at each other.

"So" the boy was the first one to break the silence. "You will have to… take your T-shirt off" he said in a low voice struggling with the inappropriate grin that refused to leave his face.

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><p>Hiccup was viewing the stairs while the girl was undressing. He shifted his gaze and saw the photograph with Astrid, her father and an unknown blond woman that was supposedly…<p>

"That's your mother?" he asked taking the photo from the shelf.

"Mmm?" Astrid turned back to see Hiccup holding her family portrait in his hands. "Yeah… She… she is in coma…" the girl's voice trembled "after the accident… That's why I'm living with my dad now" the girl sighed and pushed her bangs off her face putting her T-shirt on the couch.

"She is very beautiful" the boy whispered loud enough to be heard.

"Thank you" the compliment made her flush. They told her that she looked almost like her mother. She took beauty, thick blond hair and bewitching blue eyes after her. "And your parents? Are they?.." she did not know how to finish the sentence.

"Alive? Um… Yes and no" Hiccup frowned putting the picture back on the shelf.

"How could that be?" Astrid wondered skewing at her unbidden guest.

"That's difficult to explain. I'll tell you later. Maybe…"

"No! You didn't get it" Astrid grumbled. "You take care of my cuts, tell me… whatever you wanted to say and then we are never talking again!" the girl emphasized the word never. In spite of being lanky and unsociable Hiccup still was rather handsome, but she did not want to take the risk of being eaten or torn into pieces by his dragon self. "If you want to tell me something do it now!"

"That's you who don't understand the gravity of the situation!" Hiccup objected offended by her words. Of course, such a beautiful girl will never look at a dork that turns into a dragon. Who wants a boyfriend that sheds his scales?

"Y-you may start" Astrid stuttered folding her arms on her chest to hide it from the boy's view.

Hiccup slowly turned to see his crush sitting on the stool in the middle of the living room. He approached the girl with resolute step and calm face though his guts twisted nervously several times.

"Don't even dare to look all over me or I'll hit you!" Astrid warned shifting on the stool feeling uncomfortable with the boy who was examining her exposed back. Men never saw her like that before and the thought that it was the boy who never took an interest in her made her even more anxious. Everybody liked her, but not him, and she was afraid that her current state would only make him disgusted. Astrid did not know why, she wanted to look perfect when he was near at hand.

"I would never dare! You absolutely don't know me!" the teen stated and stooped to have a look at the girl's back. "Oh, damn!"

"What? What happened? Is it as bad as it feels?" Astrid's usually calm and restrained voice gave way to some yelps.

"No… It's… not" Hiccup held his breath. "One slit is already… skinned over" Three long slits were red and seemed to be torturing the blond queen bee, but the forth one that was not that deep and long had already healed. The boy took the liberty to run his fingers over that very cut on the perfect soft skin and swallowed hard. Now that area was light blue and had several tiny scales on it…

"Your hands are cold!" Astrid exclaimed feeling tingles down her spine.

"My hands aren't the point; your temperature is high because of the cuts. You'll feel better as soon as they are cleaned" Hiccup explained.

"So, let's start!" she ordered impatiently. Boy's closeness made her feel uneasy. "The earlier we start the sooner it will be over"

"Are you tired of my presence?" Hiccup asked slyly and laughed.

"Are you flirting with me?" the girl winced, but as soon as she realized that Hiccup was unable to see her fake emotion she relaxed her face.

"No! No! Of course not!" her classmate denied turning red.

"Good!" Astrid's face was the same shade of red, as she wished that was not true.

"Good" Hiccup grumbled disappointed with the girl's reaction to his words. "Ready?"

"Uh-huh" Astrid nodded irresolutely and then laughed when the boy's tongue touched her skin.

"I didn't know that you were ticklish!" he smirked.

"I am not" Astrid protested wishing she could punch him hard at that very moment. If her classmates knew she was ticklish she would never know where to put herself.

Hiccup traced his tongue up the first cut and pain momentarily reduced where he touched her. "Wow! It really works!" the girl admitted that she felt much better.

"One is done, two more are left" Hiccup was pleased with his endeavors to cheer the girl up.

"I thought there were four of them" Astrid looked at the boy in wide-eyed astonishment.

"The fourth is already... Well, it doesn't need my help" he muttered unsure whether he should tell her that her human skin was turning into the dragon.

"Ok. That's even better" She wanted to persuade herself that the whole process was disgusting but was unable do that. Astrid was sure that she would never let anyone else, especially Snotlout, do that. Then why did she let _him_ do that?

"Done" Hiccup said quite content with the result. Cuts were pale now and Astrid seemed rather relaxed. "You won't even have scars"

"Thanks" the blonde smiled feeling relieved. She put on her T-shirt and turned around and stroke her savior's arm.

"Ouch! You promised not to punch me!" Hiccup almost yelled at her.

"That was for leaving those awful marks on my back!" Astrid said quite content with herself.

"Ok, then it's fair, but I helped you and I deserve a reward not a punch! Don't you think so?" the boy winced rubbing his aching arm.

"Of course! And that is for your help" Astrid hit him again hurting his left side this time.

"OUCH! What the?.. Why are you always so rude?!" he screwed up his face.

"Now tell me!" the girl ignored Hiccup's remark preparing to listen to him attentively.

"Tell you what?" he pretended he did not understand what she was talking about.

"Tell me everything! What did I see yesterday near your house?"

Hiccup hesitated for a while. If he tells her now there is a possibility that she will never talk t him again. It was obvious that she preferred to suffer alone, and that meant she would not ask him or anyone else for help after she would learn about her future transformation.

"I'll tell you next time" Hiccup could be stubborn when he wanted.

"There is no next time. Now or never" she could be stubborn too.

Suddenly the light switched off and two teens were in the complete darkness. Only heavy breathing was breaking the silence of the room.

"Oh, I knew that house sucked" Astrid growled standing up.

"Shhh!" Hiccup hissed grasping her arm. "We are not alone here"

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><p><strong>Please review and follow! I really want to know what you guys think about this story!<strong>

**Next update is on Wednesday. Maybe earlier if I finish the next chapter of "How to tame…" faster.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello guys! Thank you for the reviews, follows and favs! You are amazing!**

**I hope you like the new very, very short chapter! :)**

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><p><strong><em>Chapter four<em>**

Displeased that Hiccup grabbed her arm so roughly and forced her to be silent Astrid torn herself away from his grasp. She glanced at the boy who was frowning at the moment listening to something the girl was unable to hear.

"That's ridiculous" Astrid said in her usual loud voice. "We ARE alone here! If there was someone else I would…" The blonde was sure in the rightness of her words until she heard a loud thud that made her quiver and shut up.

"Stay here" the boy whispered heading towards the door leading to the basement. Astrid followed him walking with vigorous strides. Hiccup stopped in front of the wooden door and turned to look at the agitated girl. "Do you remember I told you about the man I scratched once?"

"Uh-huh!" Astrid nodded feeling that her legs were terrifyingly shaky.

"That's him" he exhaled the words feeling uneasy.

"He came to kill us?!" Astrid gawked at her classmate, and this time it was her turn to snatch at the boy's arm.

"I don't know. I can't read minds" Hiccup reassured the girl wishing he could read at least her mind.

"What should we do then?" Astrid wanted to sound confident but her trembling voice was giving her away.

"Go upstairs and stay there. I'll talk to him. We need to know what he wants" the dragonboy pronounced concentrating on the new sounds.

"Ok" Astrid agreed feeling anxious. "Not that I'm worried about you, but… Be careful" she released his arm to leave and hide herself in her room.

Hiccup's face was calm but his guts were moving in the victorious dance. She cared about him.

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><p>Astrid went upstairs and locked herself in her room. Her heart was throbbing painfully in her chest. Why did that man come to her house and what he wanted? Was he after Haddock?<p>

"Hello, pretty face" a hoarse voice greeted the girl. Astrid turned around ready to scream, but she stopped her mouth with her hand.

"Astrid?! Astrid!" Hiccup was alarmed running upstairs. "Open the door! He is somewhere in the house! He left his coat in the basement to put me off the scent and then… Astrid, do you hear me?! Astrid!"

"I think I found him" she whispered to herself staring at the stranger. That was a muscular man of middle height dressed inconspicuously. The only thing that made his appearance unforgettable was three long scars crossing his left eye. Astrid decided that that was the very mark Hiccup left on his face.

"What is your name, girl?" the man was drawling. He bared his teeth and came closer to the blonde. Astrid was gazing at him, now he was close enough to strangle her with his hands. She swallowed hard as his round pupils slowly narrowed and now resembled cat's eyes.

"Astrid!" Hiccup was yelling banging his fists on the door of her room. "Astrid!"

She stood paralyzed with terror unable to move even a single muscle of her body and the stranger was coming closer and closer. Would he torture her? Or maybe rape? Or just kill?..

"Finally" he smirked and stopped in several inches from her face.

A moment later Hiccup broke the door with his right shoulder and arm and burst into the girl's room.

"Keep back from her!" the boy shouted and when the man did not obey he stroke him down to the ground pressing his face against the floor.

"Oh, Hiccup, old friend" he greeted Haddock freeing himself with an abrupt movement.

"Oh! Hiccup" Astrid ran up to her savior and wrapped her arms around him almost ready to give way to tears.

"What do you need?" Hiccup asked mechanically embracing the frightened girl.

"Her" the man pointed at Astrid with his index finger and jumped out of the window. The next thing the teens saw was a huge black dragon flying away.

Astrid noticed that he did not look like Hiccup's and Toothless' dragon selves… That was a different… kind. But the girl did not manage to examine the creature properly.

As soon as the monster dipped below the horizon Hiccup and Astrid jumped aside.

"Um… I… Sorry" the blonde mumbled.

"Did Astrid Hofferson say sorry?" the boy was amazed. He could hardly believe he just heard her apologizing.

"That won't happen again" she grumbled and next thing she did was…

"Ouch! Please! Stop punching me!" Hiccup begged stepping back.

"That was for mocking at me!" Astrid crossed her hands on her chest. That was the gesture that protected her from the outer world and made her feel a bit more confident and less scared. "Do you think he will come back?" she asked Hiccup looking at him shyly. The boy looked devilishly hot with his messy hair and anxious face.

"I don't want to frighten you… OUCH! STOP. IT!" Astrid landed one more punch on Hiccup's body.

"That was for thinking I was terrified" the blonde wanted to seem brave but she could hardly pass as a bold spirit with her shaky limbs.

"Ok, brave pants, he will definitely come back. Are you still not terrified?" Hiccup said spitefully, though he momentarily regretted that he opened his mouth because the fear was visible in the girl's eyes. And the last thing he wanted to do was to frighten his crush.

"Go home!" Astrid shouted pointing at the door.

"Astrid, I…" Hiccup hemmed.

"I said go home!"

They went downstairs and when Hiccup was already standing in the doorway Astrid grabbed the boy's shoulder, turned him so that they were face to face and placed a soft kiss on his red cheek. Thunderstruck by her own behavior in her next breath Astrid slammed the door and flattened herself against it clutching her head with her hands. She kissed Hiccup. Why the hell did she do that?

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><p>"So… You still didn't tell her?" Toothless chuckled looking up at his best friend. The boy made himself comfortable in the chair.<p>

"I didn't tell her" Hiccup nodded walking up and down the stairs.

"Do you have a plan or she will have to figure everything out herself next full moon?" the boy with dark hair was curious.

"I have a plan, and you" He looked at his best friend "will help me!"

"Please don't tell me you are going to…"

"Now when Dagur is somewhere nearby I have to protect her… Umm... Bud? Why are you looking at me… like this?" Hiccup gazed with suspicion at Toothless.

"She kissed you, didn't she?" the boy grinned sitting cross-legged.

"You think so because I you can smell her on my clothes?" Hiccup felt blood rushed to his cheeks.

"Nope, but I can see her lip gloss on your cheek" Toothless laughed. "So, what's your plan?"

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><p><strong>So, what do you think about this chapter guys?<strong>

**Please review and follow!**

**Next update is on Friday. **

**P. S. For those who read my first story "How to tame your dragon trainer", I wrote half of the next chapter, so, I'm planning to update tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. I knew I promised to update earlier, please, don't be mad at me! ****Love you guys!**


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